Oprah Got it Part Right
Oprah Winfrey’s final show received her highest TV ratings in 17 years according to Nielsen.
I don’t watch Oprah a lot (she’s pro-gay and too New Agey) but she certainly hit the nail squarely on the proverbial head when describing the common problem we all have.
Here are some excerpts from Oprah’s Farewell Speech:
What amazes me when I look back at the volume of 4,561 shows is not just that we did this, but the variety and the complexity of the things that we did…
…I learned from the guests on this show, no need to feel superior to anybody. Because whether it’s heroin addiction or gambling addiction or shopping addiction or food addiction, work addiction, the root is all the same. The show has taught me there is a common thread that runs through all of our pain and all of our suffering, and that is unworthiness. Not feeling worthy enough to own the life you were created for. Even people who believe they deserve to be happy and have nice things often don’t feel worthy once they have them….
…I’ve talked to nearly 30,000 people on this show, and all 30,000 had one thing in common: They all wanted validation.
… we often block our own blessings because we don’t feel inherently good enough or smart enough or pretty enough or worthy enough.
…Understanding that one principle, that everybody wants to be heard.
Oprah is Right: Not Feeling Worthy is the Problem
Oprah is right! We do have an “unworthy problem” and we want to be heard, to be understood, to be loved. That is our problem.
It is hard to believe we are worthy because we aren’t. We are sinners, we have failed. We know our sinful nature is not worthy; our righteousness is as filthy rags.
Oprah is right about the problem, but not the solution. Her solution is to believe we are worthy. But the real solution is the fact that Jesus makes us worthy.
Jesus Christ is worthy and when we accept His sacrifice we become worthy—we are righteous because He is righteous.Through Christ we are righteous. We are worthy of God’s acceptance and approval because Of our redemption in Christ. (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:9; Tit. 3:5. In Christ, God has “qualified us to be partakers” of glory! – Col. 1:12.
We are lovingly chosen, adopted into the family of God worthy of a great inheritance from the King! We do not deserve it, but in Christ we can share in this great inheritance that includes our resurrection and a new world with God forever.
So Why Do we Still Feel Unworthy?
So if we are worthy in Christ why do we still feel unworthy? I like the word picture Baxter Kruger uses to explain how we listen to Satan’s lies. Satan whispers to us cleverly like a troll on our shoulder to the point it sounds like our own thoughts.
The troll distorts our view with shame whispering to us the “I am not ___ ” lies–fill in the blank.
- I am not smart enough.
- I am not good enough.
- I am not loving enough.
- I am not spiritual enough.
- I am not a Proverbs 31 woman.
- I am not pure enough.
- I am not thin enough.
- I am not honest enough.
- I am not wise.
- I am not gentle.
- I am not kind.
- I am not praying enough.
- I am not studying the Bible enough.
- I am not attending church enough.
- I am not the elect.
- I am not predestined.
- I am not a good mother (father, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandson etc).
- I am not submissive enough.
- I am not organized enough.
- I am not working enough
When We Listen to the Lies
The lies result in spiritual pain. Then we try to self-medicate the spiritual pain with busyness, alcohol, drugs, sex, shopping, over eating, and even religion etc. I personally spend years trying to self-medicate with religion.
We do like Adam and Eve who believed these lies the Glory of God was removed and they saw their nakedness then ran into the bushes and hid in guilt and shame and rejected God.
Adam and Eve’s sin got them banished from the Garden but NOT banished from God. Look at the movement- They moved away from God, He moved toward them. His love never fails. His mercy is new every morning.
Knowing Who We Are in Christ
I blogged on this topic the day before Oprah’s show:
Knowing who we are in Christ (worthy, forgiven, righteous) gives us the mindset we need to walk with Him.
A man held up a $100 bill to an audience. He asks “Who would like to have this?” Almost all hands went up. He crumpled the bill and asked again, “Who would like to have this crumpled?” Again all hands went up. He then threw the bill to the ground and stomped on it. “Who would like to have this dirty crushed bill?” All hands rose–because the bill did not lose its value.
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Three Steps to Feeling Worthy!
- Stop listening to the lies. Remember God loved you and chose you before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4). Focus on His love.
- Pray: Ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.
- Read God’s love letters, renew your mind with the Bible stories of grace, mercy and love–growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.
When we grasp who we are in Christ–we allow Him, the Living water, flow through us to overflowing and splash onto others.
